White Bean
1 food contains this ingredient
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About White Bean
In pet food, white bean is a cooked, dried legume added mainly for plant protein, starch and fiber, and typically to supplement rather than replace animal protein.
White beans are used in pet foods as a plant-based source of digestible carbohydrates, dietary fiber and supplemental protein, supplying starch, soluble and insoluble fiber, B vitamins and minerals while contributing low fat and calories. They can help with weight management and gastrointestinal regularity and may moderate post‑meal glucose, but contain fermentable oligosaccharides and antinutrients that can cause gas or reduce mineral availability unless properly processed, and they should not replace animal protein in obligate carnivores such as cats.
- Derived from
- dried common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), cooked and ground into flour, powder, or grits
- Primary role
- plant protein, carbohydrate and fiber source
Why it's used
White bean is a pulse crop that formulators use to add plant protein, slowly digestible starch, and both soluble and insoluble fiber to a recipe while keeping fat content low. Because pulses like white bean pack protein and functional starch into one ingredient, they are also used to help bind kibble and moderate the finished diet's texture.
Common concerns
- FDA-investigated DCM association From 2018 to 2022 the FDA examined reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs eating diets built around peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses, a category that includes white bean), or potatoes as main ingredients, but concluded that adverse event reports alone could not establish a causal link and ended routine public updates in December 2022, describing non-hereditary DCM as a complex condition likely involving genetics and multiple dietary factors together.
- Raw or undercooked lectins Raw or insufficiently cooked white beans contain the lectin phytohemagglutinin, an antinutrient that in animal studies has damaged intestinal lining and impaired nutrient absorption, which is why beans used in pet food are cooked, a process shown to inactivate this lectin.
- Mineral binding from antinutrients Compounds naturally present in beans, including phytate and residual lectins, can bind calcium, iron, zinc and phosphorus and reduce their absorption unless the beans are processed (soaking, cooking, extrusion) to lower antinutrient levels.
- Gas and fermentable oligosaccharides White beans contain fermentable oligosaccharides that gut bacteria ferment in the colon, which can produce gas or loose stool in some dogs and cats, especially with a sudden diet change.
Also relevant
Cooked beans are generally used at moderate inclusion levels in pet food, with processing (soaking, cooking, extrusion) reducing the antinutrient content of the raw seed.
4 sources cited
- FDA investigation timeline, ingredient categories examined (peas, lentils, other legume seeds/pulses, potatoes), and the December 2022 decision to end routine updates because adverse event reports alone cannot establish causation
- Overview of FDA's original 2018 investigation into grain-free diets and canine DCM
- Phytohemagglutinin (lectin) as an antinutrient in beans, its effects on intestinal tissue in animal studies, and that cooking/soaking inactivates it
- Pulse crops (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas) are used in pet food for protein and functional/fiber properties
Common Questions
What category is White Bean?
White Bean is categorized as a vegetable ingredient in the KibbleLab database.
Is White Bean part of an allergen group?
Yes. White Bean is grouped under the Legumes allergen group in the KibbleLab database.
Which foods contain White Bean?
1 food in the KibbleLab database contain White Bean, including Applaws.
Foods with White Bean
Alphabetical by brand. Scores run 0 to 10, higher is better, on published veterinary science.
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